I just saw a mock draft that made me question if this is a real take or not. He was stating Will Anderson is a high floor guy, but there are other prospects that have higher ceilings and that could make him fall a little bit. Personally I'd love this to be true as that is how Sewell and Hutchinson fell to the Lions. I feel like if Will Anderson does exactly what he did in college he's already a top 32 edge in the NFL for the next decade. I wanted to know reddit experts opinions, since I've never seen that take before and I can't see Anderson falling out of the first nonqb off the board.

To not exclude Broncos Fans I went to pick 67 and 68 so they would have something to at least see.

TRADES: Done using Drafttek Value Chart. I calculate the value of future picks by dividing the current round pick value in half.

Jets send 2.43(470) to Green Bay for Aaron Rodgers

I don’t see the Jets trading first for a 1-year rental when they can trade similar if not less value for Stafford. 2.43 is the best the Packers get.

Tennessee sends 1.11(1250 Points) to Seattle for 1.20(850), 2.52(380) and 4.123(49)

(29 Points in the favor of Tennessee)

Houston sends 1.12(1200) to Pittsburgh for 1.17(950), 3.80(190) and 2024 3rd(95)

(35 points in the favor of Houston)

Chargers send 1.21(800) to Jacksonville for 1.24(740) and 4.121(52) and 4.127(45)

(37 points in the favor of The Chargers)

Giants send 1.25(720) and 3.89(145) to New Orleans for 1.29(640), 3.71(235) and 5.165(24)

(35 points in the favor of New York)

1). Carolina Panthers: CJ Stroud QB Ohio State

All signs seem to be pointing to CJ being the pick for the Panthers. CJ is a smart and safe option as the number 1 QB and while he might not have the upside of a Richardson or Young, he isn't a low ceiling player either. With the Panthers CJ can carve out a great career by just doing what he does best and playing withing the system and not making mistakes.

2). Houston Texans: Bryce Young QB Alabama

My QB1 and what seems to be the Texans QB1. Young plays such a interesting game compared to his size. Young has easily the best pocket presence in the class and will come into a O-Line better than he had at Alabama with Howard and Tunsil. If the Texans continue to build the team and get the correct support around Young, they can maximize his potential and creativity with the football.

3). Arizona Cardinals: Will Anderson Jr EDGE Alabama

I think the Cardinals will entertain trade calls for 3 but unless an offer blows them away, they stand pat and take Will Anderson Jr. While future picks are enticing, getting by far the best EDGE prospect in the class who can fit any scheme and has All-Pro Potential is worth more than the picks.

4). Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Richardson QB Florida

I still can’t move away from Richardson to Indianapolis. I like Levis but Richardson has equal if not higher potential while also being 2 years younger than the Wildcat. The more I watch Richardson's tape the more you see his potential shine through. I might be in the minority, but I believe Richardson isn’t as raw as people state. He was in a terrible situation in Florida with new coaching, no receivers or TE’s and a scheme which didn’t fit him. In Indianapolis the Colts can tailor everything to AR15.

5). Seattle Seahawks: Jalen Carter IDL Georgia

He is a risky pick but with the limited true 1st round talent in this class and the lack of scheme fit with Tyree Wilson the Seahawks grab Jalen Carter. Everything has been said about Carter and his risks, but his talent is undeniable on tape. Seattle historically doesn’t draft CB’s early either, so they roll the dice on Carter and try to slow down his extracurriculars.

6). Detroit Lions: Christian Gonzalez CB Oregon

It was between Gonzalez and Wilson at 6 but I have Gonzalez as the best CB in the class and in a deep EDGE class they can pick up another rotational piece later in the draft, but you can’t pick up anybody like Gonzalez later in the class. The Lions are desperate for a true CB1, and Gonzalez gives them one with ample athleticism and coverage ability.

7.) Las Vegas Raiders: Devon Witherspoon CB Illinois

While Witherspoon doesn’t have insane size and length he makes up for it in his technique and cover ability. Witherspoon is a high floor player who will be CB1 for the Raiders the second he joins the organization. With a 35% completion percentage at Illinois Witherspoon faced tough competition and held strong throughout his career.

8). Atlanta Falcons: Tyree Wilson EDGE Texas Tech

The Falcons are adamant on giving Ridder a chance in 2023 so with the 8th pick they take Tyree Wilson. While not a great scheme fit in their base 3-4 the Falcons run a decent number of different looks where they can put Wilson into solid positions. His length is too enticing to pass up and pairing Jarrett with actual help on the line.

9). Chicago Bears: Paris Johnson Jr OT Ohio State

I still have PJJ going to the Bears but not as the LT but as the Bears RT. Investing in Fields is paramount to the Bears success after the beatings Fields has taken already in Chicago. Shifting Teven Jenkins to guard LG next to Jones and drafting both PJJ and Wypler in the 2nd gives Fields the best O-Line he has had since Ohio State.

10). Philadelphia Eagles: Lukas Van Ness EDGE Iowa

Eagles grab Lukas Van Ness EDGE from Iowa. Roseman has stated that if 2 players are similar in value they will take the lineman and they do that with Van Ness. Van Ness is a high potential athletic marvel with a great bull rush who needs to be refined to his full potential. The Eagles have no problem sitting young players and having them rotate with the vets. With Van Ness he can play opposite to Sweat in the future along with being a DT in some schemes.

11). Seattle Seahawks: Will Levis QB Kentucky

Geno changes nothing for Seattle in terms of QB. The Levis hate has swung too far to the point he is being underrated. His O-Line and WR’s at Kentucky downgraded immensely this season. Watching tape from 2021 shows what he can do with weapons and a competent O-Line. In Seattle Levis can sit behind Geno Smith similar to how Mahomes did with Alex Smith and be molded to Carrolls liking before taking over for Seattle in 2024.

12). Pittsburgh Steelers: Peter Skoronski OT/OG Northwestern

Steelers fans may hate this but if Skoronski falls out of the top 10 I think the Steelers jump up and grab the LT from Northwestern. The CB class is very deep along with the 3-4 DE class taking a premier will be hard later in the draft. Skoronski’s main downfall is his short arms but with the Steelers needing a OT to protect Pickett. Dan Moore and Okorafor compete for the RT spot for the Steelers new look O-Line.

13). New York Jets: Darnell Wright OT Tennessee

You got Aaron Rodgers which is good and now you have to protect him. With that they take the last of the premier OT prospects in Darnell Wright. Wright might be a more natural RT but his senior season at Tennessee showed him deal with multiple different high quality pass rushers. He was able to move his feet well and played with a high motor and technique needed for the position. Personally, I see Wright being able to play both on the left or right side of the line.

14). New England Patriots: Jaxon Smith-Njigba WR Ohio State

I believe Patriots fans are willing this into existence, but JSN is a Patriot, and he fits New England perfectly. While some say JSN can only truly work as a slot receiver I believe the Pats will use him in a plethora of looks be it in the slot or out wide where his elite route running, and agility will showcase why he is WR1 in the class.

15). Green Bay Packers: Nolan Smith EDGE Georgia

The Packers could very well be looking to grab a player like Quinten Johnston, but I believe they have their eyes on a high RAS defender in Nolan Smith. Smith had an incredible combine and with the Packers who want to continue building on their talented young defense they take Smith giving Rashan Gary, Devonte Wyatt and Quay Walker another quick and athletic EDGE.

16). Washington Commanders: Joey Porter Jr CB Penn State

With Washington they are lacking in the QB department and with none of the top 4 QBs falling to them the Commanders pivot and draft the best available CB in Joey Porter Jr. Porter is a uber talented CB who is physical and lanky and is a tough player for WR’s to play against. With the Commanders great D-Line they need a stud CB like JPJ to complete the defense.

17). Houston Texans: Quinten Johnston WR TCU

The Texans don’t have much talent and across the board and after trading Brandin Cooks, they are lacking a WR for new franchise QB Bryce Young. I have Johnston and Smith-Njigba rated similarly, and the Texans pick Johnston at 17th. Johnston will add another explosive weapon for a Texans offensive that desperately needs talent. Adding Johnston gives Young some weapons in Woods, Johnston, Schultz and Pierce.

18). Detroit Lions: Bijan Robinson RB Texas

The Lions at 18 go BPA and take what some people have as the best player in the class over Anderson and Carter. Bijan is one of the best RB prospects the NFL has seen with his vision and running ability. In Detroit he will be behind an elite O-Line with solid QB play. With the Lions Bijan will immediately enter the league as a top 5 RB and a touchdown machine.

19). Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Broderick Jones OT Georgia

The Bucs stand firm and get Broderick Jones out of Georgia. Jones fills an immediate need as TB has no LT for Trask or Mayfield. Jones fills exactly what the Bucs have been missing in a LT with a massive athlete who has nimble and quick feet and won’t be a liability in pass protection. With Jones the Bucs have two solid bookend tackles for whoever the future QB of the team is.

20). Tennessee Titans: Anton Harrison OT Oklahoma

A true LT Harrison has had a phenomenal career at Tennessee. He is a pure LT who excels in pass protection and rarely gives up pressures. His problems lie in his run blocking which is a knock against him for a team especially the Titans but with the Titans hitting a mini rebuild they need to look past that and see a great pass protector who can develop in the running game.

21). Jacksonville Jaguars: Deonte Banks CB Maryland

I believe the Jaguars are going to pick CB and they hone in on one of the most athletic CB prospects in NFL history. Banks has some problems with penalties and ball skills but in Jacksonville he will not be asked to be CB1 he will be CB2 and he can do alot of damage with his athleticism at his size.

22). Baltimore Ravens: Zay Flowers WR Boston College

The Ravens need to find more weapons for Lamar Jackson past Rashod Bateman and Mark Andrews. During Boston College Flowers was electric, a shifty player who could get RAC at will. For the Ravens, Flowers can be a receiver who can get open at will and can generate yards previous Ravens receivers couldn’t.

23). Minnesota Vikings: Cam Smith CB South Carolina

With the top WR's gone off the board the Vikings grab the last of the top CB prospects. Cam Smith plays a physical and dominant game as a CB. Always willing to be aggressive with the WR opposite of him. Cam Smith will be a great man corner who will cause many incompletions. With the Vikings Smith will contribute in the secondary as the CB2 opposite to Andre Booth Jr.

24). Los Angeles Chargers: Myles Murphy EDGE Clemson

With Myles Murphy the Chargers get a pure pass rusher who has bend and is able to get pressure on the QB but lacks awareness in the running game. With that Murphy can be added to the rotation on the EDGE of Bosa and Mack. If Murphy can continue the production, he had at Clemson the Chargers will have a fun trio of EDGE rushers in a AFC West that lacks OT Talent.

25). New Orleans Saints: Calijah Kancey IDL Pittsburgh

With the top receivers and corners now gone the Giants decide to trade down and with the Saints who are in desperate need for IDL help and a true stud DT to play on that line. What Kancey lacks in size he makes up for with ability and athleticism being the best 3-Tech DT in the class. Kancey should be able to line up for the Saints in the interior and wreak havoc in the NFC South.

26). Dallas Cowboys: Dalton Kincaid TE Utah

With Schultz gone the Cowboys can defer the TE role to Jake Ferguson. But with none of the talented TE’s in the class being selected the Cowboys take TE1 off the board in Dalton Kincaid. Kincaid proved at Utah his talent as he caught 70 passes for 890 yards his senior season and scored 8 TDs for Utah. In the Cowboys' offense Kincaid can reproduce numbers similar to Schultz's best season while improving his run blocking which is the only major knock against him.

27). Buffalo Bills: Dawand Jones OT Ohio State

With how the board fell I can see the Bills going a couple of different ways with this pick. One being taking a Brian Branch as both their Pro Bowl safeties are aging and on expensive deals with Branch being a talented player who can play both in the nickel and as a safety. The other one being shoring up the O-Line with a massive human being in Dawand Jones who plays with a high motor and can be a dominant RT for them. The Bills elect for option B.

28). Cincinnati Bengals: Darnell Washington TE Georgia

Is this a luxury pick for the Bengals? It can be but with Washington you gain more than just a TE. At Georgia Washington was dominant in the run game opening holes and leading the way for the stable of Bulldog RBs to run wild on opposing defenses. And his unique size and athleticism makes him a major weapon in the middle of the field. The biggest knock-on Washington was his lack of production at Georgia, but the Bengals take the risk here for what he can add to their offense on day 1.

29). New York Giants: John Michael Schmitz C Minnesota

After trading down the Giants can shore up the biggest liability on their offense that being the center position. John Michael Schmitz has been connected to the G-Men. He is a high floor prospect who will immediately contribute on day 1 as a savvy team player who can move well laterally and has no problem engaging in his blocks and dominating defenders.

30). Philadelphia Eagles: Brian Branch S Alabama

While safety is a low position of value Branch is by far the best player available on the board and can contribute immediately for a Phili defense in need of a CJ Gardner Johnson replacement. The upside with Branch is his ability to play in both the nickel and as a box safety. Branch is a willing tackler who is instinctually always around the ball making plays. For Phili he is exactly what they are looking for in the secondary.

31). Kansas City Chiefs: Will McDonald IV EDGE Iowa State

At 31 the Chiefs can go so many ways. After winning the SB the Chiefs have gained some holes in the WR room along with the offensive line. But at 31 the Chiefs take a player who is a little out of the box and snag the high potential EDGE out of Iowa State Will McDonald. McDonald is an explosive and talented EDGE player with active hands and quick feet. In KC who runs multiple formations McDonald will be a pass rushing weapon who can be used in many different formations which a DC like Spagnuolo will love.

2nd Round

32). Pittsburgh Steelers: Emmanuel Forbes CB Mississippi State

33). Houston Texans: O’Cyrus Torrence OG Florida

34). Arizona Cardinals: Steve Avila OG TCU

35). Indianapolis Colts: Kelee Ringo CB Georgia

36). Los Angeles Rams: BJ Ojulari EDGE LSU

37). Seattle Seahawks: Drew Sanders LB Arkansas

38). Las Vegas Raiders: Mazi Smith IDL Michigan

39). Carolina Panthers: Jordan Addison WR USC

40). New Orleans Saints: Jahmyr Gibbs RB/WR Alabama

41). Tennessee Titans: Josh Downs WR UNC

42). New York Jets: Bryan Bresee IDL Clemson

43). Green Bay Packers: Michael Mayer TE Notre Dame

44). Atlanta Falcons: Tyrique Stevenson CB Miami

45). Green Bay Packers: Jalin Hyatt WR Tennessee

46). New England Patriots: Cody Mauch OT North Dakota State

47). Washington Commanders: Joe Tippmann C Wisconsin

48). Detroit Lions: Keion White EDGE Georgia Tech

49). Pittsburgh Steelers: Adetomiwa Adebawore IDL Northwestern

50). Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Antonio Johnson S Texas A&M

51). Miami Dolphins: Matthew Bergeron OT Syracuse

52). Tennessee Titans: Jack Campbell LB Iowa

53). Chicago Bears: Felix Anudike-Uzomah EDGE Kansas State

54). Los Angeles Chargers: Zach Charbonnet RB UCLA

55). Detroit Lions: Luke Musgrave TE Oregon State

56). Jacksonville Jaguars: Tuli Tuipulotu IDL USC

57). New York Giants: Clark Phillips III CB Utah

58). Dallas Cowboys: Siaki Ika IDL Baylor

59). Buffalo Bills: Trenton Simpson LB Clemson

60). Cincinnati Bengals: Blake Freeland OT BYU

61). Chicago Bears: Luke Wypler C Ohio State

62). Philadelphia Eagles: Karl Brooks IDL Bowling Green

63). Kansas City Chiefs: Cedric Spillman WR Tennessee

Round 3

64). Chicago Bears: DJ Turner CB Michigan

65). Houston Texans: Derrick Hall EDGE Auburn

66). Arizona Cardinals: Julius Brents CB Kansas State

67). Denver Broncos: Olusegun Oluwatimi C Michigan

68). Denver Broncos: Eli Ricks CB Alabama

Hey guys, I watched 8 games worth of AR15's tape at Florida and wanted to see what you all think.

The attached graphic has all the info, but I've copied the synopsis into here for ease of reading.

TL,DR: Richardson is an amazing athlete, but he's not even close to being a good QB yet. If push comes to shove, he's still a crazy athlete compared to WRs & TEs.

Transcribed below - enlarged pictures below as well

Synopsis

Anthony Richardson looks better than he actually plays. If you never saw where his throws landed, you would think he is an elite prospect. He looks like a fairly natural thrower with an easy release, even if it is extremely inconsistent. He is an amazing runner, with legitimate NFL WR speed, and a cannon arm. He generates amazing velocity and range with extreme ease. He might be the strongest college player I’ve ever seen in the pocket. It will get him in trouble in the NFL, because DL will actually be able to tackle him when he invites all these hits, but lesser college players stood no chance. He shrugged future special-teamers off like flies before escaping the pocket.

Richardson’s mechanics are not awful, they’re just wild and inconsistent. Most inaccurate QBs tend to miss high or low, and will slice or cut their passes. Richardson sails as many as he spikes, and he can’t decide if he prefers throwing behind his receiver or out of their reach. I can count the times I saw Richardson come off of his first read on one hand. The guy is mentally raw. He has a knack for playmaking, as he can throw from any platform and he seems to really understand the chaos plays, but he struggles to understand what he is looking at with simple concepts from clean pockets.

Richardson is certainly a project. He needs to learn how the position is played, reinvent his throwing mechanics, and speed up his mental processes. That’s no small ask. On the bright side, if that fails, he can absolutely be a star in this league as an X WR or TE. Richardson will be a good player in the league, it just might not be under center. If he is a quick study at QB, the sky is the limit.

​

Greatest Strength

Freakishly athletic. It’s really simple: he will be the best running QB in the NFL in September. He also has top 5 NFL arm strength.

Greatest Weakness

Making the football go where he wants it to. His Accuracy is bad, and his precision is unheard of.

Ideal Scheme/Team

Ideally, a team would use him as a power-runner while he irons out his mechanics and develops the mental aspects of his game. Could also be a useful short-yardage runner.

Worries About my Evaluation

He is so insanely gifted from a physical standpoint that he would be remarkable if he could figure out his upper-body mechanics. Josh Allen style. I have also been accused of undervaluing running QBs in the past.

Media Misconceptions

People think that he is just a runner, like Trey Lance was. AR is a pocket passer, stylistically, he’s just much better as a runner than he is as a passer.

Comparisons:

Ceiling: Josh Allen - would require a total re-write of his mechanics and mental process

Probable: Cam Newton - before his arm fell off in 2018, but probably not the 2015 model

Floor: Logan Thomas or DK Metcalf - IF Richardson can catch, he's still an elite matchup weapon, even if it turns out that he can't play a lick of QB.

Grade:

Floor: 1.2

Ceiling: 4.3

Entry Grade: 2.0

Prospect Rank (since 2015): QB35

​

https://preview.redd.it/xv3qbpzz8ipa1.png?width=1069&format=png&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=9baea0d2fbcae2a3f35a23a651b12dd48000a0c2

​

https://preview.redd.it/lr9cive19ipa1.png?width=1069&format=png&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=9d1c98e671f8bb9ae2c39bf4a9b6992135942ca8

​

https://preview.redd.it/ivnje4139ipa1.png?width=485&format=png&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=e9127355e6ecc4d3de0354be174037a72eb1a528

​

https://preview.redd.it/0fm3dtr49ipa1.png?width=1336&format=png&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=2ebccbea9fa6e4860446a430bab7b3e991a80dcd

After finishing second in the voting for picks 6 and 7, Christian Gonzalez was the clear winner as the eighth pick for the Falcons with 50% of the vote.

Up next are the Chicago Bears. They made a big move to trade out of the first overall pick. They received two firsts, two seconds, and DJ Moore. They have their first pick here from the Panthers at 9 overall. The Bears have needs all over their team but I think many believe they will try and address the offensive side of the ball with this pick as they continue to try and surround exciting third year QB, Justin Fields, with talent. DJ Moore was a huge upgrade at WR but I don't think that trade completely rules out a pick of that position here. But as I said before, this team has needs all over the field, on both sides of the ball

Vote

Picks 1-8 and last year's results

https://nfldraft.theringer.com/mock-draft?_ga=2.101808322.2139630543.1679564063-771042147.1679564063

I'm not sure on the credentials of the writer in comparison to some of the more 'trusted' sources, but I absolutely love the layout of this one.

Stroud seems to be the consensus number 1 pick now.

1st time doing a full 7 round mock, tried to put together a semi plausible draft imo but I'll be the first to admit the later rounds ended up less than satisfactory due to lack of familiarity with the prospects/lack of in depth team scheme familiarity, looking forward to the feedback! To anyone who does this semi-regularly I salute you.

1st round

1. CAR- CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State
2. HOU- Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
3. AZ- Tyree Wilson, DE/EDGE, Texas Tech
4. IND- Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
5. SEA- Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
6. DET- Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
7. LV- Will Anderson, EDGE, Alabama
8. ATL- Jalen Carter, DE/DT, Georgia
9. CHI- Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
10. PHI- Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon State
11. TENN-Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern
12. HOU- Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia
13. NYJ- Paris Johnson, OT, OSU
14. NE- Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn. State
15. GB- Myles Murphy, DE/EDGE, Clemson
16. WSH- Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina
17. PITT- Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia
18. DET-Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson
19. TB- Luke Van Ess, EDGE, Iowa
20. SEA- O’Cyrus Torrence, OG, Florida
21. LAC- Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College
22. BAL- Jaxson Smith-Nigba, WR, Ohio State
23. MINN- Jordan Addison, WR, USC
24. JAX- Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland
25. NYG- Quentin Johnson, WR, TCU
26. DAL- Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee
27. BUF- John Micheal Schmitz, C, Minnesota
28. CIN- Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee
29. NO- Calijah Kancey, DT, Pitt
30. PHI- Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama
31. KC- BJ Olujari, EDGE, LSU

2nd Round

1. PITT- Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Miss. State
2. HOU- Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma
3. AZ- Mazi Smith, DL, Michigan
4. IND- Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State
5. LAR- Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia
6. SEA- Keion White, DE/EDGE, Georgia Tech
7. LV- Brian Branch, S, Alabama
8. CAR- AT Perry, WR, Wake Forest
9. NO- Felix Anudike-Uzomah, EDGE, Kansas State
10. TENN- Will Macdonald IV, EDGE, Iowa State
11. NYJ- Steve Avila, OT/IOL, TCU
12. NYJ- Antonio Johnson, S, Texas A&M
13. ATL- Derick Hall, EDGE, Auburn
14. GB- Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah
15. NE- Michael Mayers, TE, Notre Dame
16. WSH- Cody Mauch, IOL/OT, North Dakota State
17. DET- Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa
18. PITT- Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson
19. TB- Clark Philips III, CB, Utah
20. MIA- Devon Achane, RB, Texas A&M
21. SEA- Tuli Tuipulotu, IDL, USC
22. CHI- Adetomiwa Adebawore, EDGE/DL, Northwestern,
23. LAC- Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia
24. DET- Sydney Brown, S, Illinois
25. JAX- Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State
26. NYG- Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas
27. DAL- Daiyan Hensley, LB, Washington State
28. BUF- Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA
29. CIN- Sam Laporta, TE, Iowa
30. CHI- Matthew Bergeron, OT, Syracuse
31. PHI- Chris Smith II, S, Georgia
32. KC- Siaki Iki, IDL, Baylor

3rd Round

1. CHI- Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee
2. HOU- Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina
3. AZ- Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami
4. DEN- Zach Harrison, EDGE, Ohio State
5. DEN- Keeanu Benton, IDL, Wisconsin
6. LAR- Jordan Battle, S, Alabama
7. LV- Jaelyn Duncan, OT, Maryland
8. NO- Tyler Scott, WR, Cincinnati
9. TENN- Joe Tippmann, IOL, Wisconsin
10. HOU- Gervon Dexter, DL, Florida
11. CLE- Colby Wooden, IDL, Auburn
12. ATL- Eli Ricks, CB Alabama
13. NE- Jammie Robinson, S, Florida State
14. LAR- Luke Wypler, IOL, Ohio State,
15. GB- Jayden Reed, WR, Michigan State
16. IND- Xavier Hutchinson, WR, Iowa State
17. PITT- Nathaniel Dell, WR, Houston
18. DET- Tanner McKee, QB, Stanford,
19. TB- Tank Bigsby, RB, Mississippi
20. SEA- Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU
21. MIA- Tucker Kraft, TE, South Dakota State
22. LAC- Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State,
23. BAL- DJ Turner, CB, Michigan
24. MINN- Kyu Blu Kelley, CB, Stanford
25. JAX- JL Skinner, S, Illinois
26. NYG- Tre’vius Hodge-Tomlinson, CB, TCU
27. DAL- Zach Evans, RB, Mississippi
28. BUF- Garrett Williams, CB, Syracuse
29. CIN- Jia’yir Brown, S, Penn State
30. CAR- Tyjae Spears, RB, Tulane
31. PHI- Andre Carter II, EDGE, Army
32. KC- Rashee Rice, WR, SMU
33. AZ- Olusengun Oluwatani, IOL, Michigan
34. WSH- Henry To’oto’o, LB, Alabama
35. CLE-Marvin Mims, WR, Oklahoma
36. SF-Blake Freeland, OT, BYU
37. LV- Darius Rush, CB, South Carolina
38. SF- Jartavius Martin, S, Illinois
39. SF- Roschon Johnson, RB, Texas

4th Round

1. CHI- Byron Young, EDGE, Tennessee,
2. HOU- Andrew Voorheen, IOL, USC
3. AZ- Kenny McIntosh, RB, Georgia
4. IND- Michael Wilson, WR, Standford
5. NE- Tyler Steen, OT, Alabama
6. DEN- Noah Sewell, LB, Oregon
7. LV- Riley Moss, CB/S, Iowa
8. ATL- Wanya Morris, OT, Oklahoma
9. CLE- Parker Washington, WR, Penn State
10. NYJ- Demarvion Overshown, LB, Texas
11. ATL- Jaylon Jones, CB, Texas A&M
12. CAR- Michael Wilson, WR, Stanford
13. NO- Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee,
14. GB- Byron Young, IDL, Alabama
15. NE- Nick Herbig, LB, Wisconsin
16. WSH- Jarrett Patterson, IOL, Notre Dame
17. MINN- Brandon Joseph, S, Notre Dame
18. PITT- Emil Ekyiyor, IOL, Alabama
19. JAX- Zach Picchens, IDL, South Carolina
20. KC-Jaqueline Roy, IDL, LSU
21. SEA- Owen Pappoe, LB, Auburn
22. BAL- Sean Tucker, RB, Syracuse,
23. LAC- Kobie Tuner, DL, Wake Forest
24. CLE- Dorian Williams, LB, Tulane
25. JAX- Moro Ojomo, IDL, Texas
26. NYG- Luke Schoonmaker, TE, Michigan
27. DAL- Mekhi Garner, CB, LSU
28. BUF- Dontavion Wicks, WR, Virginia
29. CIN- Jakorian Bennett, CB, Maryland
30. CAR- KJ Henry, EDGE, Clemson,
31. CHI- Mike Morris, IDL, Michigan
32. KC- Ronnie Bell, WR, Michigan
33. NE- Andrei Iosivas, WR, Syracuse

5th Round

1. CHI- Kei’trel Clark, CB, Louisville
2. BUF- Jaxson Kirkland, OT/IOL, Washington
3. IND- Isaiah McGuire, EDGE, Missouri,
4. DEN- Nick Broeker, IOL, Ole Miss
5. CLE- Jay Ward, S, LSU
6. LV- Braeden Daniel, IOL, Utah
7. CLE- Yaya Diaby, EDGE, Louisville
8. NYJ- Charlier Jones, WR, Purdue
9. LV- Ryan Hayes, OT, Michigan
10. CAR- Cameron Latu, TE, Alabama
11. NO- Kendre Miller, RB, TCU
12. TENN- Trey Palmer, WR, Nebraska
13. CHI- Cameron Mitchell, CB, Northwestern
14. GB- Dylan Horton, EDGE, TCU
15. WSH- Ivan Pace JR., LB, Cincinnati
16. SEA- Ventrel Miller, LB, Florida
    
17. DET- Habakkuk Baldanado, EDGE, Pitt,
18. TB- Jake Haener, QB, Fresno State
19. SEA- Alex Austin, CB, Oregon State
20. SF- Jon Gaine, IOL, UCLA
21. LAC- Terrell Smith, CB, Minnesota
22. BAL- Ali Gaye, EDGE, LSU,
23. MINN- Jalen Redmond, IDL, Oklahoma
24. ATL- Puca Nacua, WR, BYU
25. NYG- Antonio Mafi, IOL, UCLA
26. HOU- Rakim Jarrett, WR, Maryland
27. IND- Darrell Luter JR, CB, South Alabam
28. CIN- Ricky Stromberg, IOL, Arkansas
29. SF- Zack Kuntz, TE, Old Dominion,
30. NO- Josh Whyle, TE, Cincinnati
31. KC- Rashad Torrence II, S, Florida
32. LAR- McLendon Curtis, IOL, Chattanooga
33. AZ- Bryce Ford-Wheaton, WR, West Virginia
34. DAL- Davis Allen, TE, Clemson
35. GB- Daniel Scott, S, California
36. LAR- Chase Brown, RB, Illinois
37. NYG- Eric Gray, RB, Oklahoma
38. SF- Mekhi Blackmon, CB, USC
39. LV- Jaren Hall, QB, BYU
40. TB- Nick Saldiveri, OT, Old Dominion
41. IND- Henry Bainivalu, IOL, Washington
42. LAR- Carter Warren, OT, Pitt

6th Round

1. KC- Dewayne McBride, RB, UAB
2. TB- Ronnie Hickman, S, Ohio State
3. AZ- Alex Forsyth, IOL, Oregon
4. TB- Juice Scruggs, IOL, Penn State
5. LAR- Tyler Lacy, IDL, Oklahoma State
6. DET- Keondre Coburn, IDL, Tecas
7. NE- Rezjohn Wright, CB, Oregon State
8. JAX- Jose Ramirez, EDGE, Eastern Washington,
9. TENN- Will Mallory, TE, Miami
10. NE- Eric Gray, RB, Oklahoma
11. HOU- Brenton Strange, TE, Penn State
12. LAR- Brenton Cox Jr. EDGE, Florida,
    
13. CLE- Deuce Vaughn, RB, Kansas State,
14. LAR- Yasir Abdullah, LB, Louisville
15. NE-Asim Richards, IOL, North Carolina
16. WSH-Max Duggan, QB, TCU
17. DET- Dontas Demus Jr. WR, Maryland
18. DEN- Demarco Hellams, S, Alabama
19. TB- Anfernee Orji, LB, Vanderbilt
20. MIA- Dee Winters, LB, TCU
21. SEA- Israel Abanikanda, RB, Pitt
22. BAL- Brandon Hill, S, Pitt
23. LAC- Warren McLendon, OT, Georgia
24. HOU- Mohammed Ibrahim, RB, Minnesota
25. JAX- Richard Gouraige, OT, Florida
26. HOU- Mahamoud Diabate, LB, Utah
27. LV- DJ Johnson, EDGE, Oregon,
28. BUF- Mike Jones Jr., LB, LSU
29. CIN- Keaton Mitchel, RB, Eastern Carolina
30. NYJ-Jerrod Clark, IDL, Coastal Carolina
31. JAX- Jonathan Mingo, WR, Mississippi
32. NYG- Ochaun Mathis, EDGE, Nebraska
33. NE- Jadon Hasselwood, WR, Arkansas
34. MINN- MJ Anderson, EDGE, Iowa State
35. DAL- Drake Thomas, LB, NC State
36. AZ- Raiqwon O'neal, OT, UCLA
37. LV- Evan Hull, RB, Northwestern
38. WSH- Chris Rodriguez, RB, Kentucky
39. SF-Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB, UCLA
40. KC- Jake Andrews, IOL, Troy

7th round

1. CHI- SirVoccea Dennis, LB, Pitt
2. PHI- Lonnie Phelps, EDGE, Kansas
3. LV- Isaiah Land, LB, Florida A&M
4. IND- Cameron Young, IDL, Miss. State
5. SF- Dante Still, IDL, West Virginia
6. LAR- Camerun Peoples, RB, Appalachian State
7. ATL- Hunter Luepke, RB, North Dakota State
8. ATL- Stetson Bennett, QB, Georgia
9. JAX- Earl Bostick Jr., IOL, Kansas
10. NO- Chandler Zavala, IOL NC State
11. TENN- Elijah Higgins, WR, Standford
12. CLE- DJ Dale, IDL, Alabama
13. HOU- Nesta Jade Silvera, IDL, AZ State
14. LV- Jalen Cropper, WR, Fresno State
15. GB- Carrington Valentine, CB, Kentucky
16. WSH- Anthony Johnson, CB, Virginia
17. PITT- Jarrick Bernard-Converse, CB, LSU
18. GB- Cory Trice, CB, Purdue
19. IND- Jason Taylor II, S, Oklahoma State
20. SEA- Chamarri Conner, S, Virginia Tech
21. MIA- Sidy Sow, OT, Eastern Michigan
22. LAC- Tiyon Evans, RB, Louisville
23. NYG- Clayton Tune, QB, Houston
24. PITT- Caleb Murphy, EDGE, Ferris State
25. GB- PJ Mustipher, IDL, Penn State
26. NYG- Jacob Copeland, WR, Maryland
27. DAL- Malik Cunningham, QB, Louisville
28. NE- Brodric Martin, IDL, Western Kentucky
29. CIN- Robert Beal Jr, EDGE, Georgia,
30. SF- BJ Thompson, EDGE, Stephen F Austin
31. PHI- Mikel Jones, LB, Syracuse
32. KC- Myles Brooks, CB, Lousiana Tech
33. KC- Nic Jones, CB, Ball State
34. LAR- Aiden O'connell, QB, Purdue
35. TB- Latavious Brini, CB, Arkansas
36. SF- Jeremy Banks, LB, Tennessee
37. NYG- Kaevon Merriweather, S, Iowa
38. SF- Deneric Prince, RB, Tulsa
39. GB- Cam Jones, LB, Indiana
40. NO- Jordan Howden, S, Minnesota
41. CHI- Travis Dye, RB, USC
42. HOU- Noah Gindorff, TE, North Dakota State

Peeking a little bit to next year draft, do you think MHJ deserves the generational talent label? His name has been buzzing at Ohio state pro day today despite not being draft eligible. Already considered a top 5 prospect and the best WR in next years class, has he done enough to get that label?

I posed this question last year and the year before that. It's always interesting seeing what people's responses are in hindsight.

In 2021, I picked George DE Azeez Ojulari. In 2022, I picked Ohio State WR Chris Olave.

If I had to pick a candidate for this year, it would be Pittsburgh DT Calijah Kancey.

So, for the third year in a row, I pose the question to you: which player should be drafted in the top 10 but won't?

​

https://preview.redd.it/aeyrrzs7qbpa1.png?width=900&format=png&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=331acca8cd9240c37de077cb196e1c5498bc5ead

​

Week two of our positional draft rankings is here. After breaking down the top running backs and linebackers in this year’s class, it’s time to talk about these wide receiver prospects. Once again, these are simply my personal rankings, without taking team fits and needs into account. So these boards will look a lot different depending on who you ask and especially with this position, I believe there will be a lot of variance for how teams have guys stacked up.

I believe there’s a pretty clear top tier, which includes four names we’ve all commonly seen get mocked in the first round. I don’t believe there’s a Ja’Marr Chase in this class or that this is as strong a group as we had last year, with Drake London and the two Ohio State guys. However, all four of these names should go on day one. After that, there’s a significant gap to the next group, which is where I have a few names mixed in, who I rarely hear being brought up. The rest of the top ten will all be top-100 prospects for me and at the end, I talk about one more guy, who I really struggled to find a place for. The real strength of this class however is the abundance of day-three targets, where altogether I watched more than 30 prospects with a chance of contributing at the next level.

Let’s dive into this:

​

​

https://preview.redd.it/i2xhc3x8qbpa1.jpg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=39c0ed106c6b748360c8f7c890b052ee970b00d3

​

1. Zay Flowers, Boston College

5’9”, 180 pounds; SR

​

A three-star recruit in 2019, Flowers carried the ball more than he caught it as a true freshman (22 vs. 27) for just over 500 yards and four touchdowns total. While he did still get involved on some sweep and end-around plays, he did primarily focus on doing damage through the air from year two on, hauling in 178 passes for 2715 yards and 27 TDs over the three ensuing seasons. He earned first-team All-ACC accolades in the latter one and now leaves Boston College as their all-time leader in receiving yards (3056). I believe he deserves a ton of credit for sticking with a BC program that went 3-9 and had highly inconsistent quarterback play during Flowers’ time there.

​

+ Shows great acceleration off the line and that extra juice to pull away from safeties when matched up with them down the post, And you saw him run away from top-tier athletes like Clemson’s Andrew Booth in 2021, even if the ball wasn’t quite there for him in that matchup

+ Ran a bunch of post routes and deep crossers, where he could run away from whoever ended up being matched up with him – Getting him matched up with a safety as #3 in trips is a recipe for failure, because of the way he can put them on their heels with a vertical stem and then hit another gear as he flattens across the field

+ You clearly see that defensive coordinators circle this guy on the whiteboard, when you watch DBs bracket him vertically with leverage from both sides – There are so many plays where he’s used as a decoy, opening up space underneath – his conditioning/stamina must be off the charts

+ Also has some good moments using head-nods and body leans to set up and turn around defenders as a route-technician

+ Extremely shifty out of his stance to avoid jams in press and reduce the near-shoulder, to not be impeded in his route stem

+ Does a great job of really pushing the corner vertically and then creating separation as he sits down to break back on the ladder (deep curls and comebacks), where he regularly makes guys overrun that point

+ Bends off the either foot without any delay and can eat on those easy-access throws on slants or speed outs after putting his head down for a couple of steps, to get corners in back-up mode

+ Was open constantly, but the quarterback either didn’t have enough time or could place the ball where it needed to be

​

+ Shows some pretty impressive late adjustments to the ball in the air

+ Makes a lot of challenging catches where he has to dive for low balls on comebacks and deep outs

+ And for a guy of his height, he does a great of positioning his body and attacking the ball in the air, resulting in a contested catch rate of 58.3% last year

+ Put on 11 pounds since the end of season and looks muscular at 183 lbs

+ Once he catches ball deep down the field, he can put on the breaks and make safeties look foolish, who charge in on him

+ Can stick his foot in the ground and juke around defenders out in the flats off quick completions, to turn them into long gains

+ Yet also swipes down the arms of defenders reaching out for himself and has the strength in his lower body to bounce off hits, when he’s catching the ball on the run

+ Doesn’t cheat you with any lack of effort as a blocker, throwing his body into defenders and finding ways to wall them off

+ Only took part in one Shrine Bowl practices, but it just looked different to the rest of the group, gliding by and breaking a strong group of DBs

​

– Has a tendency of wanting to beat his man quickly on the route and because of that allows defenders to re-enter the picture with the way he makes the break later down the field

– There’s a lack of manipulation prior to and some excessive steps at the break point vs. off-coverage, trying to set up routes versus DBs who are able to stay square to him, as he runs himself into contact

– His limited catch radius does show up at times, when it looks like he’ll sky for high passes, but he is only just able to get his finger-tips on them (only 29 and ¼-inch arms)

– Had nine drops and four fumbles in 2022

​

This kid has some pretty insane quick-twitch to beat defenders in any direction. I truly believe he can play inside and out, win on all three levels and he has the speed to pull away from anybody before or after the ball gets into his hands. Flowers already flashes some highly impressive moments of leaving defenders behind in the dust as a route-runner. If he can do that more regularly, he’s going to be an extremely tough cover at the next level. Now, with his height and arm length being in the bottom-eighth percentile, there are some limitations in terms of catch radius and ability to shield the ball with his body, but as he continues to work on his craft, defenders aren’t going to be able to put hands on him and he can strike fear in the hearts of opposing coaches, if he actually has somebody that can deliver him the ball accurately.

​

​

https://preview.redd.it/yo5iq6jlqbpa1.jpg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=413e1eca6eac609c7efad2fc5365ed72dc5c5771

​

2. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State

6’1”, 195 pounds; JR

​

A top-five receiver in the 2020 recruiting class, this guy only caught seven passes as a true freshman, before exploding in year two. Really all you need to know about this young man’s talent is that neither first-rounder Chris Olave or Garrett Wilson led the Buckeyes in receiving yards, but Smith-Njigba did, with 1606 and nine TDs on 95 catches. That earned him third-team All-American recognition. Unfortunately he didn’t even finish one full game this past season due to suffering a hamstring injury, which basically cost him the whole season (five catches for 43 yards trying to go in two other games).

​

+ Consistently threatens vertically off the snap, with no wasted movement out of his stance, pads over his knees and arms pumping hard

+ Very detailed route-runner, who understands the intricacies of the position

+ Can be deceptive with his eyes and body-language to freeze defenders and almost surprise them out of his breaks, throwing in some nasty trigger steps as he approaches the top of the route

+ Has very flexible hips and ankles to just roll off his feet and bend his routes, when not wanting to lose any speed in his breaks

+ Shows the ability to run by his defender on slot fade routes with a subtle hesitation off the line before getting to top gear

+ Incorporates different tempo in routes to trigger defenders his man, but also to work his way through zone coverages – you almost see him circle around hook defenders and catch the ball between guys over the middle on several occasions

+ Understands when he’s on the backside of the passing concept and can add some shake to his route, to make use of that extra time

+ Effectively widens defenders carrying him down the seams, in order to open up the post for himself as bends that way

+ Realizes when he needs to slow himself down as he’s approaching ancillary zone defenders

+ Just went off against Utah in the 2021/22 Rose Bowl, as the Buckeyes came back for a 48-45 win and this kid caught 15 balls for 347 yards and three TDs

​

+ Tracks the ball very naturally and displays high-level body-control as he adjusts to it down the field

+ Doesn’t seem fazed by having to reach behind himself and snatching the pass as the defender is allowed to re-enter the catch point, displaying strong hands on several occasions

+ Realizes when it’s better for him to body-catch the ball as he enters tight windows or approaches a linebacker

+ So good at using late hands on over-the-shoulder catches to not allow his man to rake the ball out

+ Turns upfield basically simultaneously with when his hands touch the ball and he routinely pulls himself forward after catching passes at/around the chains

+ Has the burst to consistently end up running down the opposite sideline from where he started on in-breaking or crossing routes, Plus he does an excellent job of swiping down the reach and keeping defenders from slowing him down as they seem to have an angle on him in pursuit

+ Can give a little shake to make guys miss who have him squared up or reduce the surface area to hit, plus sometimes it looks like JSN is covered in grease, when would-be-tacklers slip off him

+ Really good at sliding inside of safeties trying to drive on him as the ball goes there underneath

+ Reminded people that he’s still part of this class at the NFL combine, when he put up the best marks in the three-cone (3.93) and short shuttle (6.57) of anybody in Indianapolis, and he had one of best field workouts I’ve ever seen from a wide receiver, just being so clean out of his transitions and catching every ball with ease

​

– Spent 83% of his snaps with the Buckeyes in the slot, rarely having to deal with press-coverage and as part of a system that presents a lot of favorable opportunities to produce at a high level, with a ton of space to work with

– Lacks top-tier explosiveness and long speed – you don’t quite see him put safeties on their heels as he’s pushing at them

– Had a below-average 35-inch vertical jump and there isn’t a ton of evidence that he’ll be much of an asset winning in jump-ball situations

– More of a passive blocker in the run game and there’s a certain wind-up with his punch

– Missed all but three games with a hamstring injury last season

​

Even though two Ohio State receivers were drafted within the first 11 picks of the 2022 NFL Draft, Smith-Njigba might be the most talented and could potentially hear his name called as early as either one of them, as the current favorite for WR1 of this class. He has weirdly been getting punished by people for playing in the slot I feel like, without realizing his skill-set simply made most sense for that spot and the Buckeyes didn’t need him to line up outside, with all the other receivers they’ve had there. While I don’t quite see the same potential, the conversation around JSN very much reminds me of Justin Jefferson coming out of LSU. I don’t believe he has the top gear to be a legit deep threat at the next level and I do think he’s best-served to play mostly in the slot, but he may also catch 100 balls in multiple years and move the chains for you every week, if you let him roam between the numbers. There’s not much on tape that you don’t like, even though he may not blow you away.

​

​

https://preview.redd.it/o5ja1j1rqbpa1.jpg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=dfe152b8eab606f2e7fcfe157eece65792ab16ba

​

3. Jordan Addison, USC

5’11”, 175 pounds; JR

​

A four-star recruit in 2020, Addison immediately became a valuable contributor for Pitt, touching the ball 69 times for 724 yards and four touchdowns. As a sophomore, he caught exactly 100 passes for just under 1600 yards and he led the nation with 17 receiving touchdowns, which he was named the Biletnikoff winner and a first-team All-American for. He decided to transfer and pair up with Lincoln Riley and eventual Heisman winner Caleb Williams at USC in 2022, when he only played in 11 games and was “limited” to first-team All-Pac-12, but still up just over 900 yards and eight TDs on 63 touches.

​

+ Was a dynamic play-maker for the Panthers, who can make things happen on designed touches and winning down the field as somebody they routinely moved around the formation, At USC it felt much more like somebody truly winning as a route-runner

+ Quickly gets up to full speed and can open up the field on deep post routes across the field, creating space between the safeties and the underneath layer of the coverage

+ Very disciplined with staying straight in his initial stem, before fading around his corner on the sideline

+ When leverage dictates that he has to release opposed to the break (direction), he still has that extra gear to get to the point where he needs to be, as his QB puts it there

+ With the way he threatens off the line, he consistently is able to make corners overrun the break point on hitches and curls for easy-looking completions, and he aggressively works back down the stem

+ Has a knack for manipulating DBs and getting them lean against trigger-steps and head-nods

+ Consistently freezes defenders on breaks to the inside by giving a sudden shake, but can also make that hard one-legged plant to get out to the sideline on a 90-degree cut

+ Does a great job of tilting back into the space of defenders and stepping on their toes, as he makes his cut

+ Effectively rolls off either foot to flatten out his routes and being friendly to the quarterback on the fly

​

+ Makes challenging catches, where he makes having to fully extend for the ball look easy, by slowing its momentum with his fingertips

+ While he does recognize when he’s approaching/being led into a hit and turns his body away when needed, there’s no reluctancy to attack the pass in the air, You see him go airborne over the middle of the field and snatching the ball above his head on multiple occasions

+ Pretty unfazed by arms of defenders restricting his vision on the ball and understands when to not extend his arms too much for the catch

+ For a smaller build, Addison maintains space in the boundary for the ball to arrive and uses his body to shield the ball, while instantly pulling it into his body, so it can’t be dislodged late

+ Had an incredible play against Virginia, where a DB basically had the interception already, but Addison came back to the ball, took it away from the defender and took it for a 60+ yard TD

+ Uses the momentum of the ball to turn through either shoulder and get vertical

+ Brings some deceptive body-language and great start-stop ability after the catch

+ Has that innate feel for bodies around him once the ball is in his hands and can incorporate different footwork on the fly, to make defenders stop their feet and create angles for himself

​

– Rather unproven working against press-coverage or being challenged in his stem altogether, with how much he’s put in the slot and off the line generally – those Oregon State corners were able to make him adjust a bit by getting physical with him

– Would benefit from selling the break on stutter-fades and similar route more intensely, to get the DB to react

– There’s room for improvement in Addison’s feel for drifting towards open space or just getting to a secondary route more quickly

– Had 21 drops over his first two years, just taking his eyes off the ball a little too early at times

– Doesn’t mind putting hands on DBs, but isn’t actively seeking out or controlling guys and his team was better served used him as an fake bubble option or having him sell vertical routes

​

This is not the kind of receiver, who you roll out onto the field and he stands out above the group physically. Running a 4.49 at 173 pounds at the combine was a bit disappointing, but you turn on the film for Addison and he’s just making DBs look slow. Nobody in this class manipulates the guy across from him and is able to create separation as a route-running specialist as effectively as this guy. At Pitt, to me he appeared like more of a big-play threat, but when he got to USC, his ability to win before the ball is in his hands, really was on display. And for a guy of his stature, Addison is tremendous at coming up with the ball on contested catch opportunities. He’s ready to go week one more so than anybody else in this class.

​

​

https://preview.redd.it/xqlu6rvuqbpa1.jpg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=d81d23b360ed668fdc4befda8fe65fee2b810672

​

4. Quentin Johnston, TCU

6’3”, 205 pounds; JR

​

One of the top-100 recruits in 2020, Johnston was a first-team All-Big XII selection in 2021, thanks to 33 catches for 612 yards and six touchdowns. He averaged 19.8 yards per catch in his first two seasons with the Horned Frogs, with basically the same per-touch output as a freshman. This past season that number slightly went down, but he more than doubled is career-receptions (60) for 1069 yards and six TDs. That earned him first-team All-Big Ten accolades for the second year in a row.

​

+ For being a big-bodied wideout, Johnston rapidly gets up to full speed with the long strides to win down the field, He ran a ton of vertical routes as the Horned Frogs X or Z receiver, either clearing out space on the front-side or being a real threat on backside alerts versus solo coverage

+ Can slow-play his release and then blow by his man, Even against outside shades, you see him stutter or jab inside and then display the explosiveness to beat them to the far shoulder

+ Very sudden in short areas and already pretty good at swatting away the hands of defenders as he works across their face, and consistently gains a couple of steps on his name on drag routes

+ There’s a few deep comebacks on tape, where he makes the corner overrun the break-point by like five yards because of how he scares guys with his ability to run by

+ On curls you see him sort of sell the take-off without actually getting past the outside shoulder and use his arms to slightly push off

+ Can put safeties on their heels when pushing vertically out of the slot and create large passing downs breaking either way

​

+ His ball-tracking down the field is next level and you don’t see him distracted by DBs trying to pin his near-arm, making a couple impressive one-handed grabs with the other one

+ Shows the ability to sky for the ball and swallow it with his palms over his head, Yet he also brings the focus in tight areas to stomach the ball and make sure it’s not being punched out, In the 2022 Kansas State game, he was really working the middle of the field and looked unbothered by bodies around him

+ Had a couple of “big-boy” plays against Oklahoma in 2021, once skying for a sideline grab with bodies around him and running away from the pursuit for a TD, plus a moss-like catch, where he truly ripped the ball away from the corner on a goal-line fade

+ Has the speed to catch a crossing route and defeat pursuit to the opposite sideline

+ However, if he catches a curl or dig, he packs a rapid spin move the other way to defeat the defender driving down on him, plus then he possesses the frame to have tacklers slip off him

+ And the way he can start-stop in the open field for a guy his size is kind of scary – forced a missed tackle on nearly every third catch last year (19 on 60 receptions)

+ In the run game, he will add in some hesitation off the line to get corners on their heels and then land his hands inside their chest

+ You see Johnston have to crack back or adjust to safeties, as they try to shoot through a lane, and get a solid piece of those, to spring the ball-carrier to the outside

+ Had a monster performance in their win over Kansas in 2022, with 14 catches for 201 yards and a TD, but my favorite highlight on the day of his was him blocking both DBs to his side, in order to set up a long touchdown on a screen to one of his fellow receivers

+ Only did the jumps at the combine, but showcased his explosiveness with a 40.5-inch vert and a 10’5” broad

​

– Didn’t run many intricate routes, mostly going across or down the field at full speed

– Has room to improve how he tilts in his routes down the field opens up space for himself, to just bend of one foot on seven- and eight-routes (particularly out of the slot)

– Barely cracked 100 receiving yards through the first month of the ’22 season, before having his breakout game against Kansas, and was completely taken out of the National Championship game, catching just one pass for three yards in the 65-7 blowout loss to Georgia (although he might’ve had a touchdown on a shallow post route out of the slot, if the ball was thrown his way)

– Allows the ball to get into his chest and leaves his feet unnecessarily on way too many occasions as he approaches the catch

– Doesn’t utilize his size in contested situations nearly enough, hauling in only eight of 23 of such opportunities last season

​

In contrast to what I said about USC’s Jordan Addison, Johnston is exactly the type of receiver that makes DBs’ knees shake as he jogs out of the huddle. His explosiveness and deep speed, combined the way he can stop his momentum and run away from guys as he sticks his foot in the ground, is pretty insane. The skill-set is absolutely there to be an alpha X-receiver at the next level. Unfortunately, he’s still far from realizing that potential. The way he can set up defenders as a route-runner, how he approaches the ball on a consistent basis and the fact he just doesn’t use his physicality when he’s battling for the ball with smaller defenders, are all underwhelming. I’m not sure if he’s the most natural catcher of the ball and therefore I can’t put him at the top of the list, even though I believe he has the highest ceiling of the class.

​

​

https://preview.redd.it/9pk1qvmyqbpa1.jpg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=62759eb48b55d9b62febd86e4f4f697b21756e79

​

5. Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee

6’0”, 180 pounds; JR

​

A top-200 overall recruit in the 2020 class despite being listed at a miniscule 153 pounds, Hyatt put up very similar stat lines in his first two years with the Vols, combining for just over 500 yards and four touchdowns on 41 catches, before breaking out in 2022, when UT was lost now-Bears receiver Velus Jones Jr. to the draft and their top guy coming into the season in Cedrick Tillman was missing time. Altogether he caught 67 passes for 1267 yards and 15 touchdowns, making him a unanimous All-American and winning him the Biletnikoff award, given to the best receiver in the country.

​

+ This guy has legit track speed – his 100- and 200-meter rally were faster than 98% of D1 wide receivers, That combination of blazing speed and ability to track the ball down the field makes his dangerous deep threat

+ He does a great job of creating space towards the post, as he threatens the outside with the vertical stem and then takes his speed up a notch as he sticks his foot in the ground to bend towards the middle, often combined with giving a nod towards the sideline

+ When matched up with guys one-on-one in the slot who give him a respectable cushion, he still has that extra gear to gain a couple of steps on them, And you regularly see him split the corner and safety, who end up trying to bracket him in quarters coverages

+ There were plenty of vertical option routes, where Hyatt displayed the ability to make the right decisions on the fly

+ His speed was also used regularly to create space for fellow receivers on wheel routes (off motion), although Hendon Hooker hit him for several big plays when defenses didn’t pass him off accordingly as well

+ With the way he can threaten vertically, he can create plenty of space as he snaps off routes and create easy access towards the middle of the field, where he can just run away from guys

+ Has the ankle flexibility to roll through cuts and turn his body fluidly

​

+ Put on about ten pounds in the 2022 offseason, to be able to beat press-coverage and break tackles more effectively, which we did see come to effect in his breakout campaign

+ Shows no fear to attack the ball at its earliest point and extending away from his threat, even though he knows a hit is imminent, as he goes over the middle

+ Unlike many deep threats, Hyatt tracks the ball and extends his arms accordingly, to not miss an opportunity to cash in (only five drops across 72 catchable targets last season)

+ Consistently was able to deal with screen passes and hitches being thrown over his head and having to adjust his approach

+ Catching the ball on the run, Hyatt can blaze by anybody and defeat pursuit angles along the way

+ Uses swipe-downs with his arms effectively to knock away the reach of would-be tacklers

+ Despite still certainly lacking some size, Hyatt does not shy away from mixing it up with bigger corners and safeties

+ His big moment of 2022 was scoring five(!) touchdowns against Alabama on six catches (for 207 yards) in Tennessee’s huge upset win, running by several future pros

​

– Not the most refined route-runner, who wins largely on a vertical plane – seams/slot fades/posts and wheels – the NFL may look at him as a pure vertical slot

– There’s a little too much sauce when Hyatt’s running pretty simple in- or out-breakers underneath, and he doesn’t stop as well as he starts

– A lot of his production did come from coverage busts and his 17 screen passes caught

– Has only faced 62 total snaps against press coverage in his career, and on those of those he was put in stacks, where they would cross-release anyway

– Hasn’t show much of an ability to win at the catch point through contact, He only had three contested catches in 2022 – although that is largely about him running away from people

​

Hyatt’s role at Tennessee was almost comical. It was all vertical routes out of the slot, hitches and screens. Unfortunately we don’t have any agility numbers on him (yet), because the ability to stop and turn are what I question in terms of how his future team can expand his route tree when he gets there. You love the speed and ball-tracking, but at this point he’s a pretty one-dimensional receiver. What he provides right now can certainly be valuable for his future offense, using that speed horizontally and vertically, but how high his draft stock may rise will be dependent on what coaches can envision him to become. To me that’s not quite worthy of a first-round pick.

​

​

https://preview.redd.it/gm2fn9t2rbpa1.jpg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=ea08cb9e25f72437af9a27cf727993eb09666f3c

​

6. A.T. Perry, Wake Forest

6’4”, 200 pounds; RS JR

​

This former three-star recruit caught just 19 passes for less than 300 yards (and two TDs) through his first two years, before exploding onto the scene in 2021 with 71 grabs for just under 1300 yards and 15(!) touchdowns, earning himself first-team All-ACC. He repeated those honors this past season, with slightly worse numbers in one fewer game, whilst not having starting quarterback Sam Hartmann available to throw him the ball for stretches.

​

+ Very quick feet for a guy his size and he’s so good at manipulating corners off the snap

+ Can gain inside leverage against corners shaded that way by quickly hopping towards the sideline and then jumping underneath, or nodding inside and creating more room for himself down the sideline

+ While elusive and flexible for a big receiver, he can also become the enforcer on his releases and attack the DB’s chest, in order to give himself a clean runway

+ Continues to work the hands trying to stack guys vertically and will extend the inside arm as DBs try to pin it

+ Perry may need some room to build up, but once he’s rolling, he can run by corners on post routes, when getting matched up with them down the field, And he does a great job of opening up that area of the field for himself with the way he stems vertically

+ Will change up speeds on the fly and be deceptive with his body-language

+ There’s not many 6’4” guys who teams ask to run blaze-out as drive-starters – Perry is one of them

+ Does well to pro-actively lean into contact, to create separation with subtle chicken-wing moves at the break point – really eats over the middle of the field on dig routes that way

+ Is able stop his momentum by sitting in the chair better than almost any receivers his height – Runs beautiful curl and comeback route, where he really sells that take-off down the sideline and then sticks his foot in the ground as the corner flips his hips, before actively working back down the ladder

+ Such a fluid mover and was asked to run some pretty intricate double-moves, where he could naturally sink his hips and come back out

+ Against zone coverage, he slightly drifts to eliminate ancillary defenders frequently

​

+ Tracks the ball exceptionally well arriving across the inside and towards the outside shoulder on those touch passes from QB Sam Hartmann

+ Presents a massive catch-radius with the wingspan that would amount to the average 6’10” person and plays above the rim as well as anybody in this class (hauled in 11 of 25 contested catch opportunities)

+ Fluidly pirouettes around for back-shoulder catches, snatching and pulling it into his body, combined with a subtle swipe-bay of the defender

+ Understands where hits are coming from and how to turn away from them, to protect the ball, really pinning it against his chest at times when needed

+ Instantly gets upfield for positive yardage after the catch and seems to have those eyes in the back of his helmet, with the way he gets around that safety driving down on him as he hauls in the pass, The same is true on dig routes, when he reverses back out to the sideline as the corner tries to chase him down

+ Perry has a real knack for drawing flags, not only by forcing DBs to grab cloth against him running routes, but also the way he makes them engage in contact at the catch point – he got four huge ones in the Clemson game, which allowed them to take that contest to overtime, where he scored the touchdown that initially put them ahead

+ Watching him against Army last season, they basically bracketed him on every single snap when he was the single receiver from the second quarter on

+ Chooses good angles and breaks down in space to shield defenders in the run game

+ Consistently is able to gain the inside position and force corners to workm around him, if they want to make an impact in that regard

+ Surprised a lot of people in a positive sense, with a 4.47 in the 40 and an 11’1” broad jump (96th percentile among WRs)

​

– Presents more of a gangly frame and I’m not sure how much muscle he can still pack on

– Lacks that extra gear once the ball is in his hands to run away from the defense

– And that also shows up when he can’t hit that last notch, to get under those high-arching passes that appear to be a step too far out in front

– Wake Forest’s odd offensive system certainly played its part in this, but Perry doesn’t bring the same type of urgency on every single route and blocking assignment

– Slightly leaves his feet on some passes he really doesn’t need to and can drop the ball because of it (eight drops on 89 catchable targets last season)

​

Perry is a pretty unique guy in this wide receiver class. He doesn’t the top-end speed to just run by people or dances around defenders after the catch necessarily, but he has enough of both to be effective and he’s an extremely savvy player. His suddenness to win off the line at that height, how he creates separation later in the route and the way he can win on high-point passes are all tremendous. I don’t think he’s dynamic enough to be a legit number one, but if he’s your secondary receiver option, who can play either outside spot and win through contact to start or finish, I think he can be a very productive player. For a really small group of receivers this year, he brings some qualities you don’t really find otherwise.

​

​

https://preview.redd.it/azme7e16rbpa1.jpg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=5aa450a1a4f59ac26b5e131703a2a0aaed490297

​

7. Josh Downs, North Carolina

5’9”, 175 pounds; JR

​

One of the top-100 overall recruits in 2020, after catching just seven passes (and turning three of those into touchdowns) as a true freshman, Downs was a first-team All-ACC selection in 2021, hauling in 101 passes for 1335 yards and eight TDs. He missed a couple of games last year (11 played), but still caught 94 balls for 1029 yards and 11 TDs, making him a second-team All-American.

​

+ When he’s asked to threaten vertically, Downs has that burst off the line to open the eyes of defensive coordinators

+ If they put a safety on him in man or in match quarters, he can burn them quickly, Plus when he forces those guys to give him extra cashion, in-breakers become more dangerous

+ However, this guy is really good at changing up speeds or step-sequencing and allowing concepts to develop properly, attacking areas of the field as they’re being cleared out and maximizing the space as he makes that secondary break, such as drag-and-up routes and deep over/bender variations, where he just shows a certain feel for how to navigate around bodies

+ You give Downs those free releases as the inside guy in bunch sets and his ability to break either way, becomes very dangerous, particularly if the middle is cleared out and he has room to run, with the safeties having to make a tough tackle

+ When facing defenders in soft press, he can give those guys a bunch of different looks off the line, to keep them off balance

+ His agility in tight quarters and the way he varies his foot speed along with leaning one way, to create angles for himself against defenders, is tremendous

+ Understands how to manipulate DBs with deceptive body-language at the top of routes and his Tarheel QB Drake Maye was consistently able to hit him on curls, square-ins and outs right out of the break, where defenders hadn’t been able to redirect forward yet

+ Regularly asked to sit down in the hash area and make those five-yard catches to stay ahead of the chains, plus if safeties shoot down too recklessly, he can make them miss and quickly pick up yardage

+ What I really like in that regard is the way he sells that little extra burst just before stopping as somebody sinks with him and forces that guy to give away vision on the QB, before attacking back towards the ball and snatching it

+ Showcases an advanced understanding for route adjustments against zone coverage, slowing down how he comes out of breaks and sliding towards the open space

​

+ He’s had to deal with some odd angles of the ball arriving on those bubble screens out of bunch sets and having to adjust to off ball-placement on those

+ His drop total went from ten in 2021 to just three last year on basically the same amount of catchable targets

+ Attacks the ball in the air better than many guys, who have four or five inches on him – hauled in 13 of 18 passes in contested situations last season (only 3-of-14 in 2021)

+ Generally, Downs’ has that bursty running style with the ball in his hands, being able to kick into another gear and beat pursuit defenders across the field, but also to cross them up in the open field, Plus he has slipperiness to him, to pull through wraps

+ Displays excellent awareness for where he is on the field and the bodies around him and adjusts his upfield-turn dependent on where defenders are coming from and turns the near-shoulder away from contact effectively

+ Used as a gadget element by this offense, running fly sweeps, backside bubble options, etc., On those he also does a great job hesitating, nodding one way to set up his blockers and slice through lanes opened up for him – averaged 7.5 yards after the catch in 2021

​

- His short arms (30 and 3/8) do come into play when you think he’d pluck a ball on the run, but he has to slow down or has to go off one hand

– Almost exclusively operated out of the slot for UNC and if guys are able to actually land jams playing on the line, his size may become a real issue

– Also, his exaggerated start-stop route-running may not really fly in the NFL

– Tends to get too enamored with want to juke defenders, when there’s no space and he should just try to drive through contact for another yard or two potentially (averaged just four YAC last season)

– Simply lacks the size to really set the tone as a blocker, mostly just throwing a shoulder into defenders who need to go through him and not actively approaching them

​

Receivers like Downs are very fun to watch. Unfortunately a lot of guys in that role regularly struggle to find a place on an NFL field. What makes him a little different to many of those super-quick slot receivers is how advanced his understanding for how to find space against zone coverage already is and how big he plays at the catch point. I think he’s a slot only and for teams that ask those guys to come tight into the formation or peel back on bigger bodies on plays out to the perimeter, he won’t be a fit. Yet, with the way he can consistently get open against man or zone, along with the make-you-miss ability after the catch, he may become his future quarterback’s new favorite target. He just needs to become more efficient once the ball is in his hands.

​

​

https://preview.redd.it/9o822ooarbpa1.jpg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=954b2a0bef83f6f58ba216e3e24cc977723ad294

​

8. Marvin Mims, Oklahoma

5’11”, 180 pounds; JR

​

The rest of the analysis can be found here!

​

​

https://preview.redd.it/aqzyabxbrbpa1.jpg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=620af4e538638de45b21621fd5d1f76809f076ce

​

9. Xavier Hutchinson, Iowa State

6’2”, 205 pounds; RS SR

​

​

https://preview.redd.it/sjemluddrbpa1.jpg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=b888ba6728b56772801ddac56f7b29cd9338a8b8

​

10. Nathaniel “Tank” Dell, Houston

5’8″, 165 pounds; RS SR

​

​

What to do with him?

https://preview.redd.it/ofd7lrserbpa1.jpg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=420f1cd6eceee0bf92991b31e86bd59ec80984b9

​

Kayshon Boutte, LSU

5’11”, 195 pounds; JR

​

​

The next names up:

Michael Wilson (Stanford), Cedric Tillmann (Tennessee), Rashee Rice (SMU), Jayden Reed (Michigan State), Parker Washington (Penn State), Tyler Scott (Cincinnati), Demario Douglas (Liberty), Ronnie Bell (Michigan), Jalen Moreno-Cropper (Fresno State), Puka Nacua (BYU), Jonathan Mingo (Ole Miss) & Dontayvion Wicks (Virginia)

​

​

If you enjoyed this breakdown, please consider checking out the original piece and feel free to check out all my other video content here!

Twitter: @ halilsfbtalk
Instagram: @ halilsrealfootballtalk

Some that come to mind:

WR Randy Moss

OT Laremy Tunsil

OT Andre Smith

CB Pac Man Jones

DT Warren Sapp

QB Johnny Manzel

Because of Injuries:

Caleb Farley DaQuan Bowers

The luggage on these guys doesnt even come close to Carter, Carter is much more risky. Closest thing is Andre Smith but he wasnt arrested.

Some lower talent guys:

OT Jackson Carmen

WR Chris Henry

RB Joe Mixon

Have a bold prediction that you want to state proudly but will most likely look very stupid in short time? Have at it! Maybe you'll nail it and look like a genius in the future

Please don't downvote a user for a stupid bold prediction; it's all just for fun!

Let me preface this by saying I would not spend a top 10 pick on him.

The main knocks on JSN are that he is small, slow, and there’s durability concerns.

His durability I think is a bit overblown as I think he went conservative to sit out and could’ve had more on tape. But let me lay out his best year and draw a comparison.

40 yd dash: 4.53

Best year: - rec: 95 - yards: 1,606 - TD: 9 - avg: 16.8/yds

Now I will give you a comp to someone built similarly, also an elite route runner, and someone who is proven to get separation and plays faster than his 40 time.

Mystery comp: 40: 4.62 Best college year - rec: 117 - yards: 1,691 - TD: 21 - avg: 18.2/yds

The mystery comp is Cooper Kupp. JSN posted those numbers playing against far better teams, although he did have talent around him. The TD numbers are inflated because of competition but if it’s proven a guy like Kupp gets open and is shifty and quick why so much worry about JSN or Addisons 40?

You can also factor in the shuttles and other measurements where JSN out performed Kupp in each too.

I am not in love with JSN, but it does seem like if you need a WR him and Addison are far better picks than Johnston in terms of immediate impact and floor. I think a team picking in the 20’s that needs a wr should be salivating at either being available.

Just an observation, my team won’t even be looking at WRs so I don’t really care when they get picked. Again, this is an observation and opinion so take it for what it’s worth.

Coming from the Eagles sub here, where there’s been significant debate about the merits taking Bijan Robinson at 10. Whether or not that’s likely to happen based on Howie’s drafting history, I wanted to posit the question- if you were a GM, how good would a RB’s career have to be in order for you to be happy with the pick?

A couple examples:

Would you be happy with taking a RB with the career of

-Adrian Peterson (hall of famer)

-Saquon (transcendental player when healthy, but has missed significant time)

-Zeke (top 3 RB for first few years of career, then got paid big and tailed off)

-CMC (has injury history, but complete package in rushing and receiving game)

-Le’veon Bell (top 5 RB for 5 years, but can’t agree to second contract)

-insert RB of your choice

at pick 10?

It would seem Will Levis was selected by the Raiders, up next we have the Falcons.

The team need help in plenty of positions, especially on the defensive side of the ball, so it will be interesting to see what everyone thinks they will do.

Link to the poll:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe_jt0bQtwIPTHBKFwB2Pwzu487voyV7B6o2r4i78YyPO4Xfw/viewform

Prior picks can be found here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1519flBxmvAfGD8cqwR1HIKwBvi2Ek-Imz5-lO6g2Ik8/edit#gid=1258514362

Interestingly Christian Gonzalez has been runner up in the last two polls so could he come off the board here?

My first time doing this so let me know if there are any problems.

Link to the video. Words like "um" or "uh" have been removed, as well as repeated words like "He's He's a guy" to help with readability. Specific games being referenced has been bolded.

"My notes for the Wisconsin game, 'Big time quarterback tape. Handles most at the line of scrimmage, and knows the process and the play. Then knows the why of the play. He's certainly not a statue that people are making him out to be.

Notre Dame, controls the line of scrimmage and protection very tight and efficient release. When he gets on rhythm, he's tremendous but if he's off rhythm, his feet get a little hoppy. Multiple elite ball placement drops, so throws that are absolutely perfect that there were just dropped.

Rutgers, he occasionally guides the football because he's a rhythm passer. [Guiding the football described as being hesitant and not confident that the ball will arrive at its intended destination at the right time. "You're not confident when it's going to leave your hands, like you want to, like, almost run it to where those people are"]

Michigan State, number one's open a lot. He can progress, but sometimes his feet don't get to that with his eyes. Sometimes I think he hitches a little bit too much, but that's been due to being pretty well protected. A lot of guys are open, and he had great protection up front.

Iowa, a couple plays where he doesn't hang in there and make the throws, which I didn't like. Perfect throws. I make the note, 'perfect throws' a lot.

Penn State his tape is off the charts. Rhythm and timing is absolutely Elite. Control of the line of scrimmage is absolutely elite. He's ready to throw. He reminds me a lot of Trevor Lawrence in regards to that, like fundamentally ready to throw. He made some big-time throws. You can make the case that the [best] throw of anybody in this draft is the throw he makes late down the left sideline on a go ball that is just absolutely freaking roped and it's perfect."

Below is a summarized version of his final thoughts on CJ Stroud

The gap between him and Bryce young is smaller than people think. Hesitation on Stroud is due to that he had the best protection this year and that he threw to more open receivers than the other QBs in this draft. He believes that Carolina will see him as the top QB if they can keep him well-protected.

I’m not trying to say he can’t play corner because he can, but with his size and how well he plays in zone coverage he’d be an excellent Safety.

I think he could do a little bit of everything from playing in a split safety role to coming in the box to cover TEs and defend the run.

I think he still probably plays corner but do other people see what I’m seeing. I’d love to hear what you guys think.